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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · capital · current · band · net · plane · snap · clip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. capital — a city
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. clip — a video
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. current — happening now
  9. capital — money
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to click
  12. clip — for paper
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. clip — to cut
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. current — of water
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. band — a ring
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com